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The Two Faces of Arsenal, one way to beat Barcelona.

Arsenal is had so much problem actually like the other teams when it comes the first choice player isn’t playing. In case for Arsenal, the main problem sometimes the finishing and ball deliveries. Arsenal tactics is very highly in focus on wings, creativity in middle and striker so if one of them is missing, the chance to win is deteriorate quickly. Arsenal is being demanded by fans to buy a world class striker, and he buy Alexis Sanchez to play as a winger. Because as a main striker, Arsene rather to choose Giroud, Walcott and Welbeck as three of them are potentially great as a striker in Premier League, it makes conclusion the quota is full and Arsene is very likely do what he wants, build his own striker.

The striker depth is good and performances are better now, Welbeck is back and do winning goal against Leicester, Walcott probably still find his form but when needed he is explosive and could play on wings, and Giroud is a fighter with the most goals in the squad right now. The wingers isn’t do much problem, Oxlade is not injured and great to drives in, Campbell is playing superbly and Alexis is back to form. Arsenal doesn’t do much problem when it comes to finishing, what Arsene need is the right player to subs when it comes to dreadlock situation because everyone is ready and go. So the basic problem actually is in middle creativity, the Arsenal heart.

If you didn’t read some of Thierry Henry’s article about how Barcelona stop Arsenal, I would told you. Thierry Henry told that Mesut Ozil is the key of Arsenal attack and if Barcelona keep him down, they’ll win the game to control Arsenal and that’s true. Mesut Ozil is very effective for Arsenal with 15 assists in his name and if he’s not playing, Arsenal is in bad shape to winning. If you could say that Arsenal is like one man team, I could tell you yes and no. Ozil needed because his important touché in the tactics and that’s why he is the central of Arsenal and also the weakest spot. Ozil is a world class and it’s hard to pressure him, but if Barcelona lucky, they could have control him and eventually Arsenal too.

How to prevent this? Arsenal is lucky enough to had so much creative player in their squad, the best is Ozil, secondo is Cazorla,and Jack Wilshere is one of the rest. Arsene Wenger had a dream about playing all of his creative midfielder in one match, and it gives a birth of 4-1-4-1 formation but it turns out badly and sadly it didn’t work. But you could say it’s good to what happened with Ozil-Cazorla partnership. Ozil offering Arsenal full of creativity and Cazorla who is very highly skilled offering Arsenal fluidity from behind, it’s perfectly in balance and it’s worked as we are in first in the league because of that. Ramsey and Ozil offering a different attack solution but Ramsey isn’t so effective in case of creativity, because he is specialized delivering the ball tirelessly. The same terms with Cazorla vision, is Wilshere who could achieve that. Sadly he isn’t available and Arsenal have limited options right now.

Why would you need two creativity player at the same time? Actually it would work with Arsenal, as if one get knocked out, the others look the gap and maximize it. Arsenal is a fluid attacking team, and creativity is a heart of Arsene’s tactics. Last game against Hull City, Arsenal had a child prodigy with the name as Iwobi. This boy could become another face of Ozil to play the patterns, he could fill Cazorla emptiness but not in Cazorla deep position. Fill in as a wing would do, when Ozil and Iwobi could change position each other in middle to change the pattern if one of it doesn’t work. Iwobi could offer something better with his calmness, precise passing and visionary. Campbell is ahead of him in terms of work rate and shooting accuracy but maybe adding Iwobi on it could change what Arsenal lack first, the ball deliveries. Importantlyi t would defects Barcelona pinpoint defense when it terms read Arsenal attacking patterns.

For that tactics, the formation would be like this, Theo will lead the game or even Welbeck. Vermaelen already told Arsenal that Barcelona would pressure them from the first minute, so find a gap between Mascherano and Pique with Theo or Welbeck is a better suitable tactics for Arsenal. Iwobi could offer something in case of through pass, when Ozil could drives in, Sanchez unreadable movements and Walcott crossing to middle. Arsenal need to convert the attack quickly or they could frustrating themselves without they know it. And remember if Ozil got a yellow card in this match, in 2nd leg at Camp Nou, he wouldn’t play. So preparing Iwobi for this doesn’t sound so bad actually.